ENROLLED
2023 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 157
BY REPRESENTATIVES COX AND BAGLEY
A RESOLUTION
To express the condolences of the House of Representatives upon the death of Vida
Rochelle Blue, Jr.
WHEREAS, it is with immense sadness and profound regret that the House of
Representatives has learned of the passing, on May 6, 2023, of former Major League
Baseball (MLB) All-Star pitcher, Vida Rochelle Blue, Jr.; and
WHEREAS, Vida Rochelle Blue, Jr., was born on July 28, 1949, in Mansfield,
Louisiana, and was the oldest of six children born to Vida Blue, Sr., and Sallie Blue; he
attended DeSoto High School where he starred as a pitcher and quarterback; during his
senior year, in football, he threw for more than three thousand yards and thirty-five
touchdown passes while also rushing for over one thousand five hundred yards and in a
baseball game he pitched a no-hitter with twenty-one strikeouts in seven innings; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Blue eventually reached the major leagues as a result of his
immense talent across a variety of sports; he forged an all-star career as a fast-paced pitcher
who pounded the strike zone with a powerful fastball and worked in occasional off-speed
pitches to keep hitters guessing; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Blue was drafted in the second round of the 1967 MLB Draft by
the Kansas City Athletics; despite having scholarship offers to play collegiate football at the
University of Notre Dame, Purdue University, and the University of Houston, he chose to
sign with the Athletics to help support his family after his father's passing; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Blue made his major league debut on July 20, 1969, against the
California Angels and enjoyed an incredibly successful seventeen-year pitching career in the
major leagues; he pitched for three MLB franchises, the Athletics, Giants, and Royals, and
was named to six All-Star teams; the most notable stretch of his career came during his time
Page 1 of 2 HR NO. 157 ENROLLED
with the Athletics, with whom he won three consecutive World Series between 1972 and
1974, was named American League MVP in 1971, and pitched a no-hitter; he finished his
career with a 209-161 record, a 3.27 ERA, and 2,175 strikeouts, and he was inducted into
both the Athletics Hall of Fame and the San Francisco Giants Wall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Blue was a civic-minded individual; in 1971, he accompanied Bob
Hope on his USO Christmas tour of Vietnam and military installations; he remained active
in a number of other charitable causes including Safeway All Stars Challenge Sports, various
automobile donations, celebrity golf tournaments, and charities for children; he was also
active in promoting baseball in Costa Rica; and
WHEREAS, Vida Rochelle Blue, Jr., brought immense pride to the state of Louisiana
as a star pitcher in MLB and as a charitable community servant; he will be deeply missed
but his legacy will continue to live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved him.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby express heartfelt condolences on the death of Vida
Rochelle Blue, Jr.; does hereby recognize Mr. Blue's incredible professional sports legacy
and his status as an MLB icon; and does hereby extend sincerest wishes that his family,
friends, and loved ones find comfort in their shared memories of his accomplishments.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Page 2 of 2